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TRANSPORT IN UNDEVELOPED COUNTRIES.
Page 95
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How the Six-wheeler Can Help and How the Use of the Type Can Be Encouraged. A Suggestion of a WM.-owned Fleet Lent to Commercial Users.
By Colonel W. E. Donohue, , C.B.E., M.Inst.C.E., M.Inst.T.
7111E success of the six-wheeled motor lorries at the
demonstration given near Aldershot on October 13th, 1926, a full report of which Was given: in the issue of The Commercial Motor for October 19th, will again bring to the front the ever-recurring Subject of transport in undeveloped countries. The trial fully demonstrated the fact that the combined efforts of the War Dartrnent Technical Committee and of manufacturers have produced a design of vehicle which inereabe.s_the".scope and the utility of the self-propelled vehicle for military requirements. Great credit is due to Mr. L. A. Legras; M.Inst.C.E., for his: early investigation§ of the design and constructionof vehicles for cross-country service, the results of -which were given during 1924 in a series of lectures throughout England and France. Great publicity was given to the subject at the time of the lectures by the English technical Press.
Although vehicles have been designed and constructed which will, operate over a great variety Of surfaces, it must be remembered that one particular type will not be suitable and economical in all circumstances. When well-constructed roads are available, the ordinary standard type of vehicle is in every way suitable and the most economical. For soft sand and boggy soil the special feature of the flexible track or half-track must 030 incorporated in some form. The performance of the Citroen-Kegresse vehicle in the Saharan desert was a distinct advance on the attainments of previous types of vehicle, but the design was quickly challenged for general use by that of the Renault six-wheeler. Then we have for extreme or exceptional conditions the Pavesi articulated system and also that of the multiaxle type, which is understood to 'be only in the experiMental stage.
All the special features of known designs appear to have been thoroughly investigated and incorporated where possible, with most satisfactory results, in the design a six-wheeled vthicles under observation at the War Office trials. A well-known military writer has, from time to time, given a forecast of the future organization of land warfare and of the types of machine required, viz., (1) a heavily armoured and comparatively slow-moving machine to replace infantry ; (2) an armoured machine carrying a field gun, to replace horse-drawn field artillery • (3) a.lightly armoured, very fast machine to replace cavalry, and one which should be able to pass through water ; (4) a semi-armoured small and fast scout machine, equipped
with a high-velocity gun, to act as a Tank destroyer ; (5) a cross-country omnibus to transport infantry, engineers, etc.; and (6) a cross-country supply vehicle.
The same authority made the following important remark :—" Unless the roadless vehicle was in civil use It was unlikely to be generally adopted by armies."
The problem has been, and is still, a very hard one for the military authorities to solve. The technical difficulties of design and construction have been overcome for a cross-country supply vehicle, but it -remains to be seen whether the pattern of vehicle, will be adopted for commercial transport materially to assist the War Department. No information, so far, is forthcoming as to the working cost of the new design. Users are not willing to embark on a transport undertaking without first knowing what the working costs and maintenance are likely to be.
A liberal response was made when a subsidy grant was offered for the ordinary design of motor vehicle, and probably a similar action would follow now, if reliable information as to costs were available for the new design.
It is suggested that, in the absence of this information, the existing rate a subsidy will not meet the case, and some method of supplying the information will have to be devised. The parties concerned are :—(1) The military authorities; (2) the manufacturers; and (3) the users. The manufacturers will go to any expense and trouble to produce saleable vehicles: the users will adopt any, type of vehicle which enables them to carry out operative transport service at a paying rate.
To supply the necessary information as to working costs required by users, it is suggested that aliont 50 vehicles should be ordered and put out on loan to leading transport firms of good standing, who would undertake to work the vehicles under commereial conditions and to supply the War Department with the Information. No doubt the selected firms would be willing to pay a certain amount for the hire of the vehicles, but this is of small importance when compared with the advantages to be obtained if the scheme should enable the War Department fully to establish the efficient and economical value .of the vehicle work ing under commercial conditions.
It is considered that there should be a large scope for employMent of these new patterns in British possessions abroad, especially if sOme assistance in the form of a subsidy grant were allowed. •